The Salt Lake Tribune will add more reporting muscle in west side communities in 2021 with the help of Report for America.
The national service program focuses on supporting local journalism and increasing the number of reporters exploring vital undercovered issues. It announced the 2021 grant recipients Tuesday.
This summer, The Tribune will welcome a reporter who will cover Salt Lake County’s dynamic west side, from Magna to Herriman and all the cities in between.
This is a fast-growing part of our state and one of the most diverse. The reporter will focus not only on the actions of city governments, but also life in these communities and the issues most important to the people who live there.
“We’re thrilled to again be partnering with Report for America as we look to strengthen reporting efforts in west side communities,” said Lauren Gustus, The Tribune’s executive editor. “It’s our responsibility to reflect a diversity of perspectives, and this position enables us to do so.”
This will be The Tribune’s third Report for America reporter, joining Becky Jacobs and Zak Podmore.
Jacobs covers Utah women and why they lag in wages, college graduation rates, political involvement and other key indicators.
Podmore covers San Juan County, which includes a piece of the Navajo Nation, and the raging public lands debate there.
Launched in 2017 and donor-financed, Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, a nonprofit media organization with an established track record of training and supporting teams of emerging journalists.
The Tribune and Report for America will now work to recruit this journalist. To apply for the one-year posts at The Tribune and other newsrooms, visit reportforamerica.org.
Report for America covers half of a reporter’s salary. The Tribune is now seeking donations to pay for the other half. If you would like to contribute, please visit sltrib.com/reportforamerica.
